Propeller



JEAN-BAPTISTE CAM ET.

PRQPELLER.

APPLICATIQN FILED JULY I1. 1917.

1,365,371 Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- JEAN- BAPTISTE CAMET.

PROPELLER.

APPLlCATION FILED JULY II. 1911.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

times STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11,1921.

- Application filed July 11, 1917. Serial No. 179,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN-BAPTISTE CAMET, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at 8 Rue Pontriques, in the city of Bayonne, Departement des Basses Pyrenees, France, have invented a new and useful Propeller, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object a novel propeller for nautical or aerial navigation.

According to this invention, the new propeller comprises two distinct members, a shaft having paddles or blades, and a casing adapted to shield the said paddles or blades during a part of their rotation. This shield is in the form of a truncated ovoid and is provided with a tail or wing.

In use the propeller is located inthe place of the usual screw propeller, but preferably, though not necessarily, the paddles or blades rotate in a plane at right angles to that in which a screw propeller ordinarily works.

The fluid through which the vehicle moves is acted upon by the unshielded part of the propeller blades to produce a thrust at right angles to the propeller axis for propelling the vehicle through the fluid, while the easing prevents the blades from acting on the fluid to thrust the shaft in the opposite direction. Work is done on the fluid within the casing, the form-of which casing 1s adapted to direct the fluid acted upon, to the rear of the vehicle so as to augment the forward thrust on the propeller shaft. The fin, provided on the casing, is arranged so that the fluid, in moving around it, tends to retain the said casing in its normal posi tion.

In addition to its use as a part of a pro-- peller, the casing is employed as a means for steering the vehicle without changing the direction of rotation of the blades and by simply turning the casing on the paddle or blade shaft.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which- Figures 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a plan, a vertical section, and a perspective view of one form of the propeller.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are plan v 1ews of the propeller and show the casing in different relative positions.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a double propeller.

Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are plan views of the double propeller shown in Fig. 8, its caslngs occupying different positions.

F 1g. 12 is a perspective view of a propeller having three blades, and 7 Figs. 13 and 14 are plan views of the propeller shown in Fig. 12 with the casings arranged for propelling the vehicle in opposite directions.

The principal feature of the invention is the special form of the casing which is designed to give the maximum of propelling power and stability.

It will be seen, on reference to Fig. 1, that the forward portion of the casing 1, toward the open part thereof, extends through an angle of between 30 and from the line of movement A, of the vessel. The dotted lines in this figure are construction lines used in setting out the curves of the said casing, which, as shown in Fig. 1, take the form of a truncated ovoid.

The sides 2 of the casing (see Fig. 2) which have bearings on the shaft 3 are inclined outward toward the said shaft 3,

and the blades 4: are narrowed near the shaft 1) and has a steadying plate U which, being fixed at that part of the casing farthest from the shaft 3, opposes,-through 'its location and proportionally to the speed of the vehicle, a resistance which assists the casing to maintain its position in the direction of travel.

This construction ofthe casing avoids shocks to the blade and consequent loss of power and also avoids any action that would tend to cause the casing to rotate. This is due to the truncated ovaloidal shape of the casing, the rear portion of which extends'to a greater distance from the shaft than the front portion and is provided with a tail. Furthermore, the tail is equipped with the fin 5 upon which acts the force of the fluid to maintain the casing in position.

The curvedvperiphery of the casing is made of triangular section, the outer sides meeting in the line A, so as to diminish the resistance offered to movement by the said periphery. This triangular part is made hollow to diminish its weight, and it ends, at.

On reference to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 it will be seen that by simply turning the casing upon the propeller shaft into the positions shown, the vehicle will be driven respectively in the directions indicated by the straight arrows A, A in each case. Thus, by simply turning the casing the direction of the vehicle may be altered instantly without stopping the engine.

WVhen the arrow A is at right angles to the axis of the vehicle the propeller thrusts the stern-part in an approximate circle, while the fore part remains stationary.

In case of accident or danger, when it is required to stop the vehicle in the shortest possible time, the position of the propeller casing may be reversed, so that the blades immediately force the fluid forward, and cause the vehicle to slacken speed and even tually to move rearwardly.

A propeller, according to this invention may be arranged so that the blades work in horizontal or in vertical planes as required.

For nautical purposes, it is desirable to mount its shaft vertically, so that the move ment of the vehicle may be effected in any horizontal direction. Any suitable means may, within the scope of my invention, be provided for turning the casing and thereby steering the vessel. For instance, the casing may be provided with a gear wheel 6, fast thereto and concentric with the shaft 8, and a steering shaft 8 may be provided having a gear 7 which engages the gear 6, as shown in Fig. 2.

For use in air, a propeller shaft is preferably mounted horizontally, so that the blades may rotate in vertical planes for causing the vehicle to ascend.

When a pair of propellers according to this invention is used as shown in Fig. 8 with their shafts horizontal, the effect of flapping wings is produced.

By turning the pair of cases together and in the same direction, an oblique ascent is obtained. This position of the casing is shown in Fig. 9.

By turning the casings in the position shown in Fig. 10, horizontal movement of the vehicle is effected and by turning the casings half around as shown in Fig. 11, the opposite horizontal movement is obtained.

In Fig. 12, a pair of propellers are superposed and arranged with their shafts vertical so that the blades act on superposed layers of fluid in parallel horizontal planes. In Fig. 13 this arrangement is shown orthographically in plan, and in Fig. 14, the casing shown in the last two figures has been turned, so as to drive the vehicle in a direction opposite to that given it by the propeller shown in the two former figures.

A propeller according to this invention may be advantageously used on a dirigible balloon which might then be caused to ascend directly, or move backward to avoid an obstacle met in descending.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the uses set forth or implied herein, or to the constructions herein de scribed and shown in the annexed drawings which illustrate examples only. Nor is it confined to any particular design, dimensions or material.

Claims. y

l. A propeller of the class described including a shaft, blades mounted upon the shaft, and also including a truncated ovaloidal casing mounted for turning movement on said shaft and provided at its rear portion with a fin to maintain said casing in a given direction, said casing having a peripheral opening to permit the blades of the propeller to act on the fluid and to utilize the force of reaction of the fluid which is discharged from the casing upon the surrounding fluid.

2. A propeller including a shaft, blades tapering toward and mounted upon said shaft, and a casing for such blades and shaft, said casing being narrowest at its outer periphery and being flared toward said shaft, said casing being further provided with a cut-away portion, the distance between the shaft and the periphery of the casing along one of the edges of the out being greater than upon the opposite edge.

3. A propeller of the class described including a shaft, blades mounted upon the shaft, and also including a truncated ovaloidal casing mounted for turning movement on said shaftand provided at its rear portion with a fin to maintain said casing in a given direction, said casing having a peripheral opening to permit the blades of the propeller to act on the fluid and to utilize the force of reaction of the fluid which is discharged from the casing upon the surrounding fluid, the said fin being T-shaped.

4. A propeller including a shaft, blades mounted upon said shaft, and a casing for said blades and shaft, such casing being capable of turning around the shaft but being provided with means acted upon by the fluid projected by said blades to restrain said casing from turning.

5. A propeller including a shaft, blades mounted upon said shaft, and a casing for said blades and shaft, said casing being maintaining it in a given direction, said cascapable of turning around the shaft, and a ing having an opening of 120 degrees to per- T-shaped member secured to said casing, mit the blades of the propeller to act on the said member being adapted to be acted upon fluid, and to utilize the force of reaction of 5 by the fluid projected by the blades whereby the fluid which is discharged from the casing 15 to restrain said casing from turning around upon the surrounding fluid.

the shaft. JEAN-BAPTISTE CAMET. a s.]

6. A propeller for air and water, charac- Witnesses: terized by a truncated oval caslng provided DONALD WA'rsoN, [11. s.]

10 at its rear portion with a fin of T-shape, P. DOSPITAL. [L.s.] 

